Colts scouts open up about Austin Blythe

By Michael Kaskey-Blomain
June 30, 2016

The Colts selected Austin Blythe in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Blythe was a four-year starter at Iowa, and impressed scouts enough throughout his collegiate career to make it to the professional level.

Earlier this off-season, some Colts scouts expressed what they saw in Blythe to Colts.com:

T.J. McCreight (Director of College Scouting): “The leverage that takes to be a wrestler shows up on tape. The toughness, the tenacity, another player that we really liked. We picked four offensive linemen and we didn’t feel like we wanted to fix that position half way. We wanted to fix it all the way. After picking four linemen and picking four guys that have character, have position flexibility, you feel really good after we left on Saturday night that we picked four offensive linemen. With Austin, he can play guard, he can play center. He just has versatility and is smart. And he comes from a program where they really learn how to play offensive line.”

Todd Vasvari (Assistant Director of College Scouting): “Super smart. Super tough. Athletic. The wrestling background really helps. I think he had 188 wins in high school. I think he had 134 pins out of those 188 wins. He’s a three-time state champ. His freshman year, he finished runner-up. I asked him what happened the other 50 or so matches where he didn’t pin somebody. He said, ‘I either messed around with the guy or it was forfeit.’ Again, I think the leverage, the balance and his intelligence really help him and I think he’s going to be a good player. If you asked him before the draft, he would have said he was the best center in the draft. He really believes that.”

Matt Terpening (National Scout): “We saw him live against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game. Michigan State has some really good front seven players and this guy held his own in a really big game.”

At ‘Quarterback U,’ Bernie Kosar was the finest the ‘Canes ever had

By GARY SHELTON
June 29, 2016

Once, it was Quarterback U.

Perhaps, it will be again.

With senior Brad Kaaya at the controls, and with coach Mark Richt in charge, the University of Miami could harken back to the days of Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta.

In those days, it was the quarterback who held things together as UM won its national titles. Testaverde and Torretta won Heismans.

Lately, it hasn’t been the same for the team of the position. But as Kaaya enters the season, you can only wonder how high on the list he might get.

Here, in Quarterback Week at the St. PetersBlog, we rank the top 10 Miami has had to offer:

1. Bernie Kosar (1983-1984): The true run of excellence of the Miami Hurricanes started in 1983, and with Kosar. Kosar led the team to its most memorable win, a 31-30 upset of Nebraska, for the national title. Kosar would finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting before leaving for the NFL, as the No. 1 overall choice in the NFL draft.

2. Vinny Testarverde (1982-1986): It would be unfair to remember Testaverde for his NFL career. Testaverde won the Heisman in 1986 and led his team to the No. 2 ranking. Testaverde threw five interceptions in the national title loss to Penn State.

3. Gino Torretta (1989-1993): Torretta was a member of two national title game, and won the Heisman in 1992.

4. Steve Walsh (1985-1988): Walsh was 23-1 as a starter while at Miami, including a championship in 1987. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was a No. 1 draft pick in the NFL Supplemental draft.

5. Jim Kelly (1979-1982): In the days before titles, Kelly – an NFL Hall of Famer – was the quarterback for the Hurricanes. Kelly threw 33 touchdown passes, setting himself up to be a No. 1 draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.

6. Ken Dorsey (1998-2002): Dorsey was 38-2 with the Hurricanes, winning a national championship and finishing second another year. He finished third and fifth in the Heisman race. In his career, he threw 86 touchdown passes.

7. Craig Erickson (1987-1990): Erickson was good enough to finish eighth in the Heisman Trophy. He started for two seasons. He was drafted twice by the NFL, in the fifth round by the Eagles in 1991 and the fourth round by the Bucs in 1992.

8. George Mira (1961-1963): Mira was an early star with Miami, finishing fifth and 10th in the Heisman Trophy race. His son, George Jr., later played linebacker for the Hurricanes. He was drafted in the second round by San Francisco and played eight seasons in the NFL.

9. Brad Kaaya (2014-present): Kaaya, still going with the Hurricanes, has received some light buzz for this year’s Heisman. If he can finally get his team past FSU, it has a puncher’s chance to contend in the ACC.

10. Brock Berlin (2003-2004): Berlin transferred in from the University of Florida and had two solid years for the ‘Canes. He was 19-5 and finished second for Player of the Year. He led Miami to a 38-33 comeback win over Florida (UM trailed 33-10 in the third period)

Top 5 Current Ravens Most Likely To Get Into Hall Of Fame

June 22, 2016

Baltimore (WJZ) — Careers in the NFL are notoriously short and championship windows are even shorter. That’s why being enshrined in the Hall of Fame stands tall as the greatest honor in all of sports. Many wish to claim that honor, but very few are given the opportunity.

Here’s a look at a few of the current Baltimore Ravens that have a chance to be in the Hall of Fame:

1. STEVE SMITH WR – Steve Smith has made a name for himself as one of the toughest wide receivers in the history of the NFL. He plays with such a massive chip on his shoulder, that something as formidable as age can’t keep him down. So far in his career, he’s amassed 961 receptions for 13,932 yards and 76 touchdowns. 1000 catches and 15,000 yards are attainable for Smith before he calls it quits. If he can reach that milestone, his enshrinement to the Hall of Fame will simply be a matter of time.

2. MARSHAL YANDA RG – Ravens fans have always known that Marshal Yanda is a beast on the football field. The rest of the league has started to take notice with his rank at #37 in the NFL’s Top 100 List. His presence has helped solidify the line since his arrival in 2007. He’s versatile enough to switch to tackle if the need arises, but his play at guard has been nothing but exceptional. If he continues at this pace, he could be a lock for Canton.

3. JOE FLACCO QB – The Super Bowl XLVII MVP has already reached the top of the mountain in one aspect of his career. It’s that success that has him on this list of likely Hall of Fame entrants. Flacco has been rather inconsistent in his career since joining the league in 2008, which has made it tough to rate him as an “elite” quarterback, as we have seen in some spirited debates as of late. Regardless, string in a few years of exceptional play along with another Super Bowl title and you’re looking at a bonafide Hall of Famer.

4. JUSTIN TUCKER K – It’s pretty tough to make the Hall of Fame as a kicker. In fact, there have only been four kickers selected to be in the HOF since the halls were open in 1963. Jan Stenerud was the last to be enshrined in 1991 and is widely regarded as the only pure placekicker to make it. This means a Hall of Fame kicker hasn’t played in the NFL since 1985. Adam Vinateri has the stats to make it to Canton one day. Justin Tucker could be right in his footsteps if he continues to play the way he has. Tucker has been nothing short of spectacular since becoming a Raven in 2012. As it stands now, Tucker is the second most accurate NFL Kicker in NFL history. If he can string together another decade of excellence, Mr. Tucker could be wearing a gold jacket in no time.

5. BRANDON WILLIAMS DT – Expecting to see someone else? There may be bigger names on the Ravens roster with loftier accolades, but none possess the skills and potential of Brandon Williams. He’s been nothing short of spectacular since entering the league in 2013. His stout play at the line of scrimmage has been stellar and his ability to rush the passer has been vastly underrated. The sky is the limit for Williams. If he can reach his full potential and maintain that high level consistently, the Ravens defensive lineman will be in the conversation for a bronze statue when his career ends.